Can I still work alongside my studies?

- Most students complete their degree programme full-time. This means that their studies take centre stage and usually take up around 40 hours per week. The hours of the part-time job then have to be adapted to the degree programme. An alternative to full-time study is part-time study. This reduces the study programme to 40 %, 50 %, 60 %, 70 % or 80 %, leaving more time outside the study programme. The important thing here is that the duration of the degree programme is extended. You can find more information about working alongside your studies here: studierendenwerk/geld/jobben-im-studium. You can find more information on financing your studies here: studierendenwerk/beratung/studienfinanzierungsberatung.

Will I still have time for friends and leisure?

- If you are studying full-time, you will spend approx. 20 hours per week on courses during term time. You can organise the remaining 20 hours or so yourself and they are intended for studying for exams, preparing for and following up on courses or working on assignments, among other things.

What can you do in Oldenburg?

- Oldenburg has a beautiful city centre where you can stroll around, there are cosy and original cafés and great museums and cultural institutions. In the evening, Oldenburg has a great nightlife. Oldenburg is a bike-friendly city close to nature with many surrounding bathing lakes. The North Sea is not far away either. You can find more information about leisure activities in Oldenburg here: Campus life - leisure - art - culture - sport.

Can I live well in Oldenburg?

- As in many student cities, the issue of housing is not entirely straightforward. In addition to some student halls of residence in Oldenburg, there is of course also the option of looking for a flat or shared flat. You can find support on the subject of housing here: campusleben-wohnungssuche.

How do I finance my studies?

- One way to finance your studies is through student grants. Other options include part-time jobs or scholarships. You can find more information on financing your studies here: campusleben/studienfinanzierung.

How much will my degree programme cost?

- The costs of your studies are made up of the semester contribution, your rent and other individual expenses. Accordingly, the costs vary from student to student. The semester fee includes, among other things, the Deutschlandticket: Semester fees.

What should I do if I have not been accepted for my second subject?

- If you have not been accepted for your second subject, this is not a problem at first. You could enrol in an NC-free subject and then start your studies. It is possible to change subject at a later date. You can find further information and contacts here: study/apply/change of subject.

What do I need to consider when choosing my subject?

- If you want to keep open the option of working as a teacher in a school later on, you must choose a second subject that is a teaching subject. You can find information on the requirements for the combination of subjects with the career goal of becoming a teacher here: Faecherkombinationen_Lehramt.pdf. It is also important to note that you will later enter the preparatory service with your subject. If you have an extracurricular career goal, you can combine the subject of special education with any other subject. The combination of special education and education is often chosen.

How long will my degree programme take?

- The standard period of study for your Bachelor's degree is 6 semesters, i.e. 3 years. The Master's programme takes another 4 semesters (2 years).

Do I have to choose my specialisation when I apply?

- No, you don't have to. Here in Oldenburg, you will study cross-categorically, i.e. you will get to know all the specialisms offered in Oldenburg in your Bachelor's degree and only have to decide on 2 specialisms in your Master's degree.

Which Master's degree programmes are offered in the field of special education and rehabilitation education at the University of Oldenburg?

- The university offers the Master of Education in Special Education (career goal: teaching special education) and the Master of Arts in Rehabilitation Education (extracurricular career goal) degree programmes. Another extracurricular Master's degree programme is the Master of Arts in Educational Sciences(studiengang/erziehungs-bildungswissenschaften-master).

Can I have previous credits and/or academic appointments and training recognised?

- Yes, this is possible. You can find further information here: Recognition of professional competences and here: https: //uol.de/anerkennung. Many students can also have the orientation internship recognised through an apprenticeship, FSJ or similar: Crediting the orientation internship (prx111).

What is the practical relevance?

- In addition to the orientation internship, there are three other internships spread across the Bachelor's and Master's programmes. Overall, the combination of theory and practice is very important at our Institute. In addition to the regular internships, we have numerous modules with a practical focus, which are also located at our Centre of Excellence for Joint, Holistic Development Support (KoggE), for example. There are also numerous co-operations with schools and other practical institutions. Teachers from the schools are involved in school-related seminars (e.g. preparation for school internships). There are also various opportunities to go on excursions during your degree programme.

Who can I get help and advice from before my studies?

- If you have any questions before starting your degree programme, there are many different contacts at the university. One contact person specifically for special needs education is our Coordinator of Studies and Teaching Bastian Rieß(koordinator-fuer-den-ausbau-sonderpaedagogik). You can find further contacts at the Student Counselling Service: Central Study and Career Counselling // University of Oldenburg and on the central counselling pages for prospective students: study/beratung-studieninteressierte.

Is a semester abroad possible?

- Yes, you can spend a semester abroad on the Special Needs Education programme. We have various partner universities and will be happy to advise you at an early stage if you are interested. You can find more information here: https://uol.de/sonderpaedagogik/internationalisierung.

How, where and when do I apply?

- You apply online on the Enrolment page under 1st semester from mid-May to mid-July. You can only start Special Needs Education in the winter semester. It is also possible to start your studies in a higher semester in the summer semester if you have already studied a similar degree programme in the past.

What is special education?

- Special education is a field of education that deals with the education and support of people with disabilities. The aim is to enable and promote participation in very different areas of life (daycare centre, school, leisure, living, work, etc.) for people with disabilities.

Do I need certain qualifications?

- In order to study special education here in Oldenburg, you need either a general higher education entrance qualification, a subject-restricted higher education entrance qualification, a university of applied sciences entrance qualification for the relevant subject area, a Z exam or previous academic appointments. You can find more information here: study/entrance qualification.

Where will I work later?

- There are many different fields of work in special education. On the one hand, you can work as a teacher at a special school or at an inclusive school. You can also work in the extracurricular sector. Extracurricular areas include work in residential homes, counselling centres or social paediatric centres, therapeutic facilities, support in workshops for people with disabilities or integration companies, inclusive work with pre-school children, further education and individual support or research.

Can I come and have a look at the university beforehand?

- You can take a look at the university at the HIT (University Information Day), other options can be found here:: Offers for study orientation.

Why the BA Special Education here in Oldenburg?

- In contrast to other universities, Oldenburg has a cross-categorised Bachelor's degree. This means that you get to know all specialisations in the Bachelor's degree and only have to decide in the Master's degree which of the five specialisations offered you want to choose (mental development, physical and motor development, learning, behaviour/emotional and social development, language). Our Bachelor's programme is also polyvalent. This means that after starting your studies, you can decide whether you want to become a teacher for special needs education and follow your Bachelor's degree with a teaching-related Master's degree (M.Ed. Special Needs Education) or whether you would like to work in an extracurricular, special or rehabilitation education field in the future and, for example, follow a specialised Master's degree course such as the Master's in Rehabilitation Education.